How To Avoid A Routine Life In An Adult World

“Habit and routine have an unbelievable power to waste and destroy.” – Henri de Lubac

I have been so distracted with the routine of life that I have somewhat deserted my blog. From working 40 hours a week, wedding planning, being with family again, to nightly workouts – I have been quite a busy bee.

I must say it’s been a lifestyle change since moving back home. Colorado was full of doing whatever whenever. It was spontaneous ideas and not caring about saving a penny for the future. Those years were a great stage in my life. But that’s what life is full of – stages. Chapters that must eventually end for a new one to begin.

Now I’m focusing on saving money for bills and our wedding in September. Routines are a beautiful way to achieve a certain goal you have. Like working your butt off at work for x amount of years to save up for something big (like a house or vacation). Routines are also perfect for fitness goals. Working out every single day for x amount of weeks or months to lose or gain x amount of weight. Routine can be beneficial. Or detrimental. Depending on what you want to attain.

I, myself, go mad when I am doing the same thing in the same order every…single…day. Currently, my life is one continuous routine. Wake up, go to work, work out, go back home, eat, go to bed. Repeat. My young, adventurous soul is crying out for help. I’m at a stage in life where I have to be a “responsible adult” *cringe*. It’s unfortunate….but it happens once in a while. With student loan debt, car payments, wedding planning…it’s hard to avoid those at this point in life. Sure, I have future plans of being debt-free so I gain the freedom to do whatever whenever. But how do I become debt-free when I’m, well, in debt? I hunker down. I stay on the grind. I remind myself daily this is temporary. I also remind myself how young I am. Take a deep breath, it’s okay. Sometimes yah gotta do what yah gotta do, to eventually be where yah wanna be.

So, for the souls who are stuck in the adult way of living right now and your poor, little, creative soul is tethering at your heart strings – do not fret. We got this. How can we keep our mind creative while having a 9-5 office job? How can we fill our travel void without breaking the bank?

By utilizing our down time.

How often are we on social media in between T.V. commercials? How often are we watching T.V.? From our half hour lunch breaks to our time spent before work and after work….what are we doing with those minutes passing by? (To those reading who have kids…I’m sorry I have no advice for you because I honestly don’t know how you supermoms and dads do what you do. Go you for keeping tiny humans alive while simultaneously staying sane.)

Just by calculating my day — 1 hour of 100% free time before work + 30-minute lunch break while at work + 3.5-4 hours from after I’m done working out to when I go to bed. That’s roughly 5.5 hours from when I wake up to when I fall asleep of free time. And here I am complaining about how I have no time?! It’s all how you utilize it. And that’s only my weekdays. Trust me, I know more than anyone how amazing the couch feels after a day of work. Especially after a day of work and then heading straight to the gym. It’s easy and tempting to fall into the routine of relaxation and shutting off your brain at 5. If you just pass that initial temptation, you will realize how beneficial and satisfying exercising your creative brain can be. Instead of Netflix for three hours, try coloring or reading – even for an hour. If you don’t work out, try it! Even if it’s just walking for 45 minutes, it feels good to get your spirits up after a long day at the office. Maybe you have a job where you’re on your feet all day (I feel you), doing some relaxing yoga or hitting up the gym before your shift can heighten your mood tremendously. Finding little time throughout your busy day to take care of yourself is worth it, whether it be physically or mentally.

Another way to mix up your week – traveling. You’re on a budget but you have the itch to be somewhere new. During these gray, winter months it can be enticing to drop everything and head south. But, it can be difficult when you have a job you can’t risk losing and a bank account that is telling you “…better not.” Times like these are the best times to explore the state you live in. You may know your town inside and out, but what about the one 3 hours away? Hello, weekend road trips! All you need is a friend (or not), some snacks, and a somewhat thought-out plan. Nothing keeps your adult life spicier than exploring a different place every 5 days! Do some research about some funky towns. Or a state park you haven’t been to yet. Even a nature reserve across town you have still yet to discover. Exploring is all about unearthing the unknown, that doesn’t mean you have to travel thousands and thousands of miles. Find a place you’ve never been – and go!

A lifestyle change can always be difficult – and when I say lifestyle change I mean the adult world slapping you across the face. Depending on the type of life you want to live, this boring adult life doesn’t have to last forever. You just have to learn how to appreciate the time you’re in, even if it’s not the most ‘exciting’ of times compared to others. Sometimes you need to buckle down and work hard for what you want to achieve. It may not be as fun as frolicking through the Virgin Islands out of a van, but I promise you will come out of this rigorous stage of your life stronger, stable, and proud of yourself. Appreciate your current state.